Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
The chemistry at the surface of a burning propellant plays a major role in the burnrate, the stability of the flame, and the potential for a run-away hazardous event. Chemical details can be determined experimentally by simulating the burning surface with a thin film of material heated rapidly to the surface temperature. T-Jump/FTIR spectroscopy is designed to create these conditions. The dominant, initial, heat-producing reactions in the surface zone of NH4ClO4, NH4NO3, NH4[N(NO2)2], HMX, RDX, and DNNC are elucidated at high temperatures representative of the burning surface.